Department for Transport

Railways: Broadband

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to page 5, Part 1 of the Digital Strategy published on 1 March 2017, what broadband speed train operators will be required to deliver to provide high-speed connectivity to ensure fast and reliable WiFi.

Paul Maynard: In the new franchise agreement, our requirement for all new franchises will be for an initial minimum average data speed per passenger of 1Mbps. The Department for Transport estimates that on average 100Mbps per train will be required initially.

Heathrow Airport

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to bring forward legislative proposals to give the Government power to ring-fence landing slots at Heathrow Airport to protect connections to regional airports as was proposed in the Airports (Amendment) Bill [HL] 2010-12.

Mr John Hayes: Under European Union regulations airport slot allocation in the UK is managed by a designated co-ordinator which is independent of the Government, the Civil Aviation Authority and other interested parties. The Government will consider how all UK airports, including those in the South East, can best utilise their existing runways to allow the growth of both domestic and international connectivity as part of the new Aviation Strategy. This will be an ambitious programme of work, and we will be consulting widely throughout 2017, leading to publication of an Aviation Strategy White Paper at the end of 2018. The draft Airports National Policy Statement, currently out for consultation, sets out that expansion at Heathrow would be an opportunity to not only strengthen the frequency of existing domestic routes, but also to develop new domestic connections, including to regions currently unserved. Government would expect Heathrow to add at least six more domestic routes by 2030 bringing the total to 14.

Aircraft: Radio

Sir Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to postpone the proposed deadline for the installation of 8.33 KHz-compatible radio equipment in aircraft until the outcome of the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU is known.

Mr John Hayes: The Government is carefully considering all of the implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, including the implications for the regulation of aviation safety. However, until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the EU and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain, alongside national rules.

Wrexham-Bidston Railway Line

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the punctuality of services on the Wrexham-Bidston train line; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: In April 2006, the Welsh Government was given the responsibility for management of the Wales and Borders franchise, including day to day relationships, communication and performance management. They continue to closely monitor the punctuality of services on the line from Wrexham to Bidston, and have reported that there were a number of issues on that route in Autumn with leaf fall significantly affecting train adhesion, including a day when the service had to be suspended. The Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates AM, has requested that Arriva Trains Wales and Network Rail hold periodic Operations and Performance Board meetings, working in partnership to drive up performance across the franchise and also develop plans for Autumn and major public events. I am advised that there have been 2 productive meetings held so far with some quick wins identified. The WBRUA (Wrexham-Bidston Rail User Association) have been pleased to see that Network Rail have been active this winter cutting back a lot of lineside foliage (thanks to the above meetings) to reduce the risk of a similar occurrence going forward. Passenger services on the route currently have very tight turnaround times resulting in limited scope for service recovery if things do go wrong. The Welsh Government will give consideration to service enhancements offered by bidders as part of the procurement process for the next franchise, which is due to commence in October 2018.

Railways: Passengers

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure train passengers are aware of their rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Paul Maynard: It is the responsibility of train operators, as service providers, to ensure that their customers are made aware of their rights to compensation or other redress in cases of service failure or disruption. Train operators’ own compensation schemes provide the main means of redress for passengers. My Department has worked with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), industry and consumer groups to identify actions to improve passenger awareness of their rights to claim compensation, including all options open to them. The ORR has also been working with the Rail Delivery Group and individual train operators over the last year to raise their awareness of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and their obligations under it. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 came into force for all transport providers on 1 October 2016. Information about the Consumer Rights Act is widely available from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service, consumer organisations and government websites. Transport Focus, the independent transport user watchdog, has produced a guide to passengers’ rights under the Consumer Rights Act, which is available on their website.

Train Operating Companies

Tom Tugendhat: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure companies are compliant with consumer law with particular regard to the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Paul Maynard: It is the responsibility of individual transport businesses to ensure that they are compliant with their legal obligations. In the rail sector, the Office of Rail and Road is a designated enforcer of consumer law and has been working with the Rail Delivery Group and individual train operators over the last year to raise their awareness of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and their obligations under it.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the Northern Ireland Executive's ability to meet the requirements set out in the Fresh Start document to release the £5 million Government funding in 2016-17 to tackle paramilitary activity.

Kris Hopkins: The Northern Ireland Executive has established a Strategic Programme Board and a Cross Departmental Advisory Group to manage funding agreed under the Fresh Start agreement to tackle paramilitary activity. The Programme Board has allocated £3.898 million in 2016/17 to law enforcement activities and other initiatives to tackle ongoing paramilitary activity and criminality, including £1.949 million of UK Government funding. The Executive’s programme management structure will drive the next phase of implementation, which will include actions to support local communities to reject paramilitary activity and to develop mechanisms to support those individuals or groups who want to transition away from paramilitarism.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Pay

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government campaign launched on 27 February 2017 to increase low paid workers' knowledge of national minimum and national living wage rights, in which languages the advertising for that campaign will be written.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's campaign launched on 27 February 2017 to increase low paid workers' knowledge of national minimum and national living wage rights, what involvement trade unions will have in raising awareness of that campaign.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's campaign launched on 27 February 2017 to increase low paid workers' knowledge of national minimum and national living wage rights, how the advertising of that campaign will be targeted.

Margot James: The Government’s National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage campaign is targeted at all those eligible to receive the rates ahead of the increases on 1 April, 2017. In addition, we are targeting workers in key sectors which employ more people on the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage and Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers, who are disproportionately low paid and less aware of the rates. Messages are targeted through advertising on a range of different media channels across the UK which the audience is most likely to listen to or read. These channels are: Radio, regional newspapers, online media titles, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), and outdoor poster sites. In addition, we will also be advertising on radio stations which have a predominantly BAME audience, and reaching out with messaging via local authorities and community groups.The advertising for the Government’s National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage campaign is produced in the English language. We will be providing some material in the Welsh language. As part of the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage campaign, the Government is working with a broad range of stakeholders, representing both employers and employees. This includes working with a number of the unions. They have to date provided statements in association with campaign press notices. The unions have also been invited to share campaign materials with their members highlighting the rate increase on 1 April 2017.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Maldives: Commonwealth

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the issue of readmitting the Maldives into the Commonwealth.

Alok Sharma: There have been no recent discussions with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the issue of readmitting the Maldives into the Commonwealth. The Maldives is free to reapply for membership should it wish to do so.The UK is disappointed that the Maldives Government decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth. We believe in the Commonwealth and its commitment to improving the lives of people across all its member states. It is an organisation dedicated to developing free and democratic societies, and to promoting peace and prosperity.We remain extremely concerned about governance and human rights in the Maldives, not least freedom of expression and association, judicial independence, the arbitrary detention of political figures and the possible re-introduction of the death penalty. I raised these concerns with Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr Asim at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 28 February.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the UN on the political situation in the Maldives.

Alok Sharma: I have had no recent discussions with the UN on the political situation in the Maldives. However, there is regular engagement between UK and UN officials, including most recently meetings between the British High Commissioner and the UN Resident Coordinator to Maldives in February.We remain extremely concerned about governance and human rights in the Maldives, not least freedom of expression and association, judicial independence, the arbitrary detention of political figures and the possible re-introduction of the death penalty. I raised these concerns with Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr Asim at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 28 February.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of the Maldives on the political situation in that country.

Alok Sharma: ​I most recently discussed the political situation in the Maldives with Maldivian Foreign Minister Dr Asim at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 28 February. I raised UK concerns about governance and human rights in the Maldives and the importance of upcoming elections being free and fair. I also reiterated the UK’s opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, and raised concern over reports of the construction of a new execution chamber in the Maldives.

Cabinet Office

Electoral Register: Young People

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to encourage people aged 16 or 17 to register to vote.

Chris Skidmore: The Government is committed to maximising electoral registration, helping to ensure every voice matters in a democracy that works for everyone. Online registration has made registration easier, simpler and faster and it is more in tune with the digital lives many people now lead – particularly young people. Since the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration, there have been over 1.3 million applications to register to vote made by people aged 16 and 17, with over half of the applications made online. As part of my 'Every Voice Matters' tour, I have met with a number of sixth form students across the country to hear – first hand – about the barriers they face to engaging in the democratic process. This insight is helping inform a wider democratic engagement strategy, which the Government will publish later in 2017. The Autumn 2015 Spending Review announced over £1 billion to expand National Citizen Service (NCS) over the next 4 years, meaning that by 2021, NCS will cover 60% of all 16 year olds and it is being expanded to include democratic engagement.

Electronic Government

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the HM Revenue and Customs Digital press release of 13 February 2017, Green light for Government Gateway Transformation, which future transactions will be processed through the (a) new verification service and (b) Government Digital Service platform Verify.

Ben Gummer: As the UK Digital Strategy and Government Transformation Strategy both set out, government is committed to building and extending the use of shared components and platforms. GOV.UK Verify is government’s single, shared identity platform for citizens. The authentication service being developed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to replace Government Gateway will be for business representatives. HMRC is committed to GOV.UK Verify as the government’s identity platform for citizens. HMRC is the biggest user of GOV.UK Verify, enabling access to its citizen-facing services such as Self Assessment, Personal Tax Accounts and other associated services, such as Check Your Income Tax. The Government Digital Service is working closely with HMRC and across government to develop a shared migration plan to GOV.UK Verify for citizen-facing services currently using Government Gateway.

Government Departments: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2017 to Question 62723, on government secondments, what positions the staff from KPMG were seconded to; what the purpose of those secondments was; what the equivalent payscales were of the positions to which those staff were seconded; and how long each of those secondments lasted.

Ben Gummer: Details of the KPMG staff who have been seconded into government since July 2016 through the Civil Service central secondment programme are:a secondment to the Department of Health at Civil Service Grade 7, in the department’s Government Finance Academy. The secondment took place from 1st September 2016 until 31st December 2016.a secondment to the Department for Work and Pensions at Civil Service Grade 7 in the department’s Work and Health Unit. The secondment is from 4th October 2016 until 4th April 2017;a secondment into the Ministry of Justice at Civil Service Grade 6 on the department’s Prison Reform Programme. The secondment is from 12th September 2016 until 11th September 2017. Secondments into government departments can be arranged centrally or arranged by individuals within their departments. The details of staff on secondments which are not centrally arranged are not centrally held.

Department for International Development

South Sudan: Famine

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how her Department is working with other international donors to ensure that sufficient funding is made available for a rapid and effective response to the famine in South Sudan.

James Wharton: The UN has appealed for US $1.6 billion for South Sudan. The UK was the first major donor to raise the alarm bell and respond, committing £100m to the appeal on 22 February. We announced our funding early in order to amplify the urgency and encourage others to make contributions. I have publicly called for other international donors and the UN and World Bank to swiftly follow our lead.

Malawi: Solar Power

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent progress has been made on developing the solar market in Malawi.

James Wharton: During my visit to Malawi last year, I signed a Compact with the Government of Malawi as part of the UK’s “Energy Africa” campaign. The Compact sets out agreed actions to remove policy and regulatory barriers to Malawi’s solar market expansion. The UK is also working alongside energy companies to develop inclusive business models for solar products, providing technical support to improve markets, distribution and access to consumer and business finance.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Direct Marketing

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to launch the consultation on making company directors and those in similar positions accountable for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 in relation to direct marketing; and what the period of that consultation will be.

Matt Hancock: We intend to issue a consultation on making company directors accountable for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 in in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions

Bereavement Benefits

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to reform bereavement benefits.

Caroline Nokes: For those whose spouse or civil partner dies on or after 6 April 2017 we are replacing the current suite of bereavement benefits with a single benefit known as Bereavement Support Payment. The Regulations setting out the details of Bereavement Support Payment were debated in the House of Lords on 21 February 2017 and in the House of Commons on 27 February 2017.

Children: Maintenance

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the 2016 consultation on child maintenance deduction orders against joint accounts; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: The consultation on the introduction of deduction orders against joint accounts closed on 25th August 2016, the responses are being considered by the department and a response will be published in due course.

Walkers Foods: Peterlee

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to provide financial aid to employees requiring support to up-skill and retrain in the event of the closure of the Walkers crisps factory in Peterlee.

Damian Hinds: In the event of the closure of a large employer the Department for Work & Pensions provide redundancy support through its ‘Rapid Response Service’. This support can include: A skills analysis to help identify transferable skills and training needs relevant to the local labour market; Job-focused training to help individuals develop vocational skills needed within the local labour market; An action fund to overcome individual short-term barriers to taking up a specific job offer, e.g. travel to work expenses; Advice on claiming benefits, self-employment and tax credits.

Ministry of Defence

Egypt: Armed Forces

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel of each service of the armed forces are stationed in Egypt.

Mike Penning: There are five UK Armed Forces personnel stationed in Egypt, one Royal Navy, three Army and one RAF. Three are based in the Defence Section in the British Embassy in Cairo and two are deployed with the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping organisation in Sinai.

RFA Fort Austin

Mrs Flick Drummond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) current deployment and (b) planned out-of-service date is for RFA Fort Austin.

Harriett Baldwin: Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) FORT AUSTIN is not currently deployed and is alongside in the Liverpool area. On current plans, she will retire from service in 2024.It is standard practice for Royal Navy and RFA ships to cycle through different readiness states in response to our operational needs. The RFA remains integral to the Royal Navy's deployments and global presence.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Litter: Fines

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations his Department has received on the levels of fines issued by local authorities to residents for litter-related offences.

Mr Marcus Jones: We have been working with a range of key partners including councils and businesses to develop England’s first ever Litter Strategy. The Litter Strategy for England will focus on three key themes: education and awareness; improving enforcement; and better cleansing and litter infrastructure. These will be backed up by specific actions under each objective, including delivery of the Government's Manifesto commitment to “review the case for increasing fixed penalty notice (FPN) fines for littering”. We will consult on this soon.

Social Services: Children and Young People

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice his Department provides to local authorities on how to fund social care for children and young people.

Mr Marcus Jones: Local authorities receive funds through local taxes, fees and charges as well as from central government and they are best placed to take decisions on spend for social care for children and young people based on local needs.

HM Treasury

Bank Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2017 to Question 63665, what discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on whether he has taken into consideration the estimated number of adults without a bank account in developing his Department's voter identification trial.

Simon Kirby: Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with colleagues across Government to discuss a wide range of issues. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Treasury's practice to provide details of all such discussions. The Government is committed to improving access to financial services. Access to a transactional bank account is key to enabling people to manage their money on a day-to-day basis effectively, securely and confidently. Since September 2016, the nine largest personal current account providers in the UK are legally required to offer basic bank accounts to customers who do not have a bank account or who are ineligible for a bank’s standard current account.

Take-away Food: VAT Exemptions

Danny Kinahan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will assess the potential merits of exempting hot sandwiches that are made to takeaway from VAT.

Jane Ellison: There are currently no plans to alter the VAT treatment of hot sandwiches that are made to takeaway.

Aviation: Training

Tom Elliott: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much (a) income tax and (b) VAT was accrued to the public purse from activities related to flight training schools in each of the last five years.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs are not able to disaggregate statistics on tax accruals down to lower level trade sector such as flight schools.

Government Departments: Copyright

Jim Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what process his Department has for allocating funds for the payment for copyright licenses by the Government; and what funds were allocated for such payments in each of the last five years.

Simon Kirby: Government departments buy copyright licences according to their needs from their departmental budgets. Funds are not allocated by HM Treasury specifically for licensing and departmental procurement. This type of procurement is a matter for individual departments.

Diesel Vehicles: Excise Duties

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to increase road tax for diesel vehicles.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase taxes on diesel fuel.

Jane Ellison: The Government is committed to improving air quality, and will consult on a detailed draft plan later this year which will set out how we will achieve our air quality goals. Alongside this, the Government will continue to explore the appropriate tax treatment for diesel vehicles, and will continue to engage with stakeholders.

Debts

Helen Hayes: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Government plans to complete its review of a proposed breathing space scheme for families in debt.

Simon Kirby: The government has committed to exploring whether some form of “breathing space” would be a useful and viable addition to the current range of debt solutions available to consumers and creditors. Work is continuing on this review, and the government plans to provide an update in due course.

Electronic Government

Cat Smith: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HM Revenue and Customs digital press release of 13 February 2017, Green light for Government Gateway Transformation, which other Government Departments are planning to use the new verification service.

Jane Ellison: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Government Digital Service are working with Government departments to help them find suitable solutions beyond March 2018, when the current version of the Government Gateway will be commissioned.GOV.UK Verify will be the single identification service for individuals. The authentication service that HMRC is developing to replace the Government Gateway will complement the existing GOV.UK Verify service for business representatives.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Brexit

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government is gathering and monitoring the views of UK citizens who live in non-UK EU countries on the process of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: We are working with our embassies across the EU to listen to any concerns and ensure that we understand the priorities of UK nationals living in EU countries. This work has been particularly sustained in countries with large British expatriate populations such as France and Spain, as well UK nationals in Ireland who benefit from the Common Travel Area.Securing the status of, and providing certainty to, EU nationals already in the UK and to UK nationals in the EU is one of this Government's early priorities for the forthcoming negotiations.

Brexit

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2017 to Question 64535, if he will make it his Department's policy to publish all correspondence between his Department and EU representatives prior to the UK's exit of the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government has been clear that we will not provide a running commentary on negotiations and the department has no plans to change policy regarding publication of correspondence. The Government has always been committed to parliamentary scrutiny of our withdrawal from the EU, balanced against the need to avoid undermining our negotiating position, as agreed by the House of Commons on 12 October 2016.

Department for International Trade

Commonwealth: Trade Agreements

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has received from other Commonwealth countries on future trade agreements after the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with counterparts across a wide range of markets, including with other Commonwealth countries, in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. We have announced that we are starting preparatory discussions on our future trading relationship with Australia, New Zealand and India.

Trade Agreements

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with the Home Office on the potential merits of including visa liberalisation within future trade agreements.

Greg Hands: Department for International Trade officials and I have regular discussions with the Home Office on a range of policy issues, including the contribution visa policy can make to the promotion of trade and inward investment. We will continue to welcome the brightest and the best talent from Europe and around the world but the precise immigration arrangements that will apply after the UK leaves the EU have yet to be determined.

Commonwealth: Foreign Investment in UK

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage investment from other Commonwealth countries.

Mark Garnier: Through a network of Embassies, High Commissions, Consulate Generals and UK-based staff, the Department for International Trade develops tailor-made propositions about the advantages of investing in the UK to present to individual investors, including those from the Commonwealth.This week my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade Policy (Lord Price) co-chaired the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ meeting, where opportunities for greater trade and investment within the Commonwealth were discussed. Furthermore, in 2018 the UK will host the Commonwealth Summit where we are aiming for an ambitious and innovative Summit that focuses on making the most of all the Commonwealth has to offer in the 21st Century.

Commonwealth: Trade Agreements

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which other Commonwealth countries he plans to prioritise for trade agreements after the UK has left the EU.

Greg Hands: We already enjoy excellent trading relationships with our Commonwealth partners, and we are committed to strengthening these relationships further. We have announced that we are starting preparatory discussions on our future trading relationships with Australia, New Zealand and India. So far this year my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has visited Canada and Singapore. This month the UK is co-hosting, with Malta, the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ meeting in London. This will be an excellent opportunity to promote greater trade and investment within the Commonwealth.

Trade Agreements: Developing Countries

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his policy to seek to agree trade deals with the world's poorest countries once the UK leaves the EU.

Greg Hands: The UK’s exit from the EU creates a major opportunity for the UK to send a positive signal that our markets are open and we are determined to promote business with the developing world.We will continue to play our part in reducing the barriers to trade, developing markets, reducing red tape and by helping to create stable business environments where British companies can invest and create jobs.The Department for International Development and Department for International Trade are working closely together to ensure that trade with developing countries is central, rather than peripheral, to our new trade approach.

Rolls-Royce

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if UK Export Finance officials conducting its review into support for Rolls-Royce will examine support beyond that referred to in the statement of facts agreed in the deferred prosecution agreement between Rolls Royce and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on 17 January 2017 and published by the SFO.

Greg Hands: UK Export Finance is considering whether the information in the deferred prosecution agreements and statements of facts agreed by the Serious Fraud Office and other overseas investigating authorities with Rolls Royce, has any implications for existing support, or more widely. UK Export Finance is not able to repeat the Serious Fraud Office’s own criminal investigation into Rolls-Royce.

Department of Health

Prescriptions

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost of prescriptions dispensed in the community was for people aged (a) over 60 and (b) between 60 and 66 in the last year for which information is available.

David Mowat: The Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of medicines dispensed for people ages 60 and over who qualify for free prescriptions was £4.8 billion in 2015. Information is collected as the NIC which is the basic cost of a drug. This does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income. We are unable to provide information for those people aged between 60 and 66.

NHS Shared Business Services: Postal Services

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many letters NHS Shared Business Services were contracted to deliver to GP surgeries between 2011 and 2015; and of those letters how many were (a) delivered and (b) not delivered.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to prevent the loss of confidential NHS correspondence since the loss of such correspondence by NHS Shared Business Services.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patient letters were not delivered by NHS Shared Business Services to GP surgeries in (a) each English region and (b) parliamentary constituency.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much NHS Shared Business Services received for delivering letters from hospitals to GP surgeries; and whether that company was paid for the letters which were not delivered.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how often he has received updates on the work of NHS Shared Business Services as required under the contract signed by Sopra Steria; and if he will publish any reports relating to data loss which have been received by NHS Shared Business Services or his Department since 2011.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which English regions NHS Shared Business Services were contracted to deliver GP mail redirection services.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much compensation has been paid to GP practices for investigating the letters undelivered by NHS Shared Business Services; and how such compensation has been calculated.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the Information Commissioner to publish his report into the loss of confidential NHS correspondence by NHS Shared Business Services.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) staff time and (b) cost of that staff time of the hospital staff who prepared and sent letters to GPs which were not delivered by NHS Shared Business Services between 2011 and 2016.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many incidents of patient harm have been identified as a result of the loss of confidential NHS correspondence by NHS Shared Business Services; and whether any compensation will be paid to patients who have been found to have been harmed as a result of that lost correspondence.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether any person working or NHS Shared Business Services was (a) disciplined or (b) dismissed as a result of the loss of confidential NHS correspondence.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what inquiry or inquiries into the loss of confidential NHS correspondence (a) his Department, (b) NHS England and (c) NHS Shared Business Services has undertaken; what the terms of reference were of that inquiry; and what the outcome was of that inquiry.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will publish the emails and letters sent between (a) NHS Shared Business Services and his Department and (b) NHS Shared Business Services and NHS England on the loss of confidential NHS correspondence.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (a) how, (b) when and (c) by whom the loss of confidential NHS correspondence was discovered; who at NHS Shared Business Services discussed the loss with who at (i) his Department and (ii) NHS England; and on what dates any such discussions took place.

Nicola Blackwood: NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) were originally set up as a joint venture in 2005 and were contracted from 2011-2016, through 26 separate contracts with primary care trust organisations (PCTs), to carry out a number of services including redirection of correspondence to general practice (GP) surgeries. These contracts were novated to NHS England in April 2013 when PCTs were abolished. Some of these contracts required NHS SBS to provide a redirection service for the East Midlands, North of England, North-East London and South West of England regions, for correspondence relating to a patient received by the wrong GP. The service required NHS SBS to attempt to identify the correct registered GP and redirect the correspondence. The contracts did not specify specific numbers of documentation to be redirected as this was variable. Approximately 708,000 pieces of correspondence (including letters) have been identified as not being redirected during this period. Of these 708,000 items, approximately 190,000 were identified as not having clinical significance, so were sent to archive, and have not been sorted by region. The remaining correspondence has been reviewed and returned to GPs. The attached table shows the approximate figures for correspondence repatriated to each of the affected regions because it had not previously been redirected as intended. Disaggregated data at constituency level is not held. There has been no loss of correspondence. All correspondence has been securely held, and has now been returned to GP practices or to archives, as appropriate. NHS England and the Department were informed, by letter on 16 March 2016, of the discovery of a backlog of unprocessed documentation within the redirection service by the Managing Director of NHS SBS. NHS England immediately established a National Incident Team to lead resolution and work with NHS SBS to remedy the problem. The Department’s immediate concern was that patient safety might have been compromised by the delay in forwarding correspondence so a rapid process was started to identify whether anyone had been put at risk. Publicising the issue at the time could have meant GP surgeries being inundated with inquiries from worried patients which would have prevented them doing the most important work, namely investigating the named patients who were potentially at risk. Although there was no loss of confidential NHS correspondence, NHS SBS carried out a full investigation into the incident. The scope of the terms of reference were agreed with NHS England and the Department. NHS England commissioned an investigation into the incident by its Internal Audit team on 1 April 2016, working with auditors from the Department and NHS SBS, into the incident. The terms of reference covered the appropriateness of the response to the incident by NHS SBS; the response by NHS England to confirm that similar issues did not exist in other Primary Care Support services; contract management processes to enable a lessons learned exercise and assurance over other services provided by NHS SBS. The Department commissioned an investigation by its Internal Audit team which considered the Department’s role in the corporate governance of NHS SBS. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) was informed by NHS England on 18 April 2016 and is presently conducting an investigation into the incident with the full cooperation of NHS England. The ICO determines its own terms of reference, and the timing of any report is a matter for the ICO. The National Audit Office (NAO) is also undertaking an investigation into how the incident occurred, contract management and the handling of the response. At the time of completing this answer the final terms of reference have not yet been received. The outcome of the NAO’s investigation will be reported to Parliament as appropriate. Given that this national incident is currently subject to an investigation by both the NAO and the ICO, it is not appropriate to publish related documents until these investigations have concluded. NHS SBS no longer provides an NHS mail redirection service, and we understand that NHS SBS has taken disciplinary action over the non-delivery of this NHS correspondence. In order to support GP practices, which have been required to review and assess large numbers of returned documentation arising from this incident, NHS England agreed payments with the British Medical Association’s General Practitioners Committee on behalf of GPs. These payments are intended to provide recompense for the time required to review and assess the documentation in the context of relevant patient medical records; to communicate with patients about the incident where necessary; and to report to NHS England the outcome of this work and whether there is any potential harm caused because of the delay. Payments made to GP practices, to the end of February 2017 for this work now total £2,442,750, for which final liability remains subject to discussion. Payments were made to practices related to the number of items received for review as follows: Number of Pieces of Correspondence RepatriatedPayment for Assessment and Review of DocumentationLess than 20A fixed payment of £5021-50A fixed payment of £100More than 50£50 per 10 items  The Department and NHS England have focussed on ensuring that matters of patient safety are being addressed. There is no estimate of the cost of staff time related to the generation of the original correspondence. The specific costs for the redirection service were not separately identified within the contract and are not available. There has been no loss of correspondence and, at this point, there has been no confirmed case of a patient being harmed as a result of this incident. Work continues to conduct the necessary assessments by registered GPs and undertake further clinical reviews, where required. As, to date, no harm has been identified, no compensation has been paid to patients.



PQ66335 attached table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 18.87 KB)

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of reducing the screening age for bowel cancer to 50 years old.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to reduce the screening age for bowel cancer to 50 years old.

David Mowat: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviews the evidence for screening conditions every three years as per its published evidence review process. When bowel screening using Faecal Occult Blood testing was fully implemented in England in 2010 the Cancer Programme and the NHS Bowel Cancer screening programme assessed what the best combination of screening would be to reduce the burden of bowel cancer in England for people aged 50-75. As a result, a one off examination of the bowel at 55 followed by regular screening for blood in the stool at 60 every two years to the age of 70 (later extended to 74) was concluded to be the best combination of tests to discover, prevent and treat the most bowel cancer within existing resources. The first test is the Bowel Scope Screening (BSS). This is a direct examination of the left hand large bowel with a camera mounted on a flexible tube. It allows a trained professional to see and remove small polyps (growths) from the bowel. If they are not removed they can slowly develop into cancer. Both men and women are invited to attend this around their 55th birthday. If people are not screened at 55, they can request BSS up to the age of 59. Evidence shows that men and women aged 55-64 attending a one-off bowel scope screening test for bowel cancer could reduce their individual mortality from the disease by 43% (31% on a whole-population basis) and reduce their individual incidence of bowel cancer by 33% (23% on a whole-population basis). In addition to BSS, the UK NSC recommended the move to use Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) in November 2015 as the primary screen for bowel cancer. Evidence has shown that use of the self-sampling FIT test kit can increase screening uptake by around 10% due to the test being easier to use, more acceptable and more accurate. Introduction of FIT will result in around 200,000 more people a year being tested, potentially saving hundreds of lives. FIT will be implemented across England from April 2018. It is expected that the introduction of FIT will have a significant and positive impact on helping us tackle bowel cancer. The acceptability and accuracy of the test will allow the programme to screen, treat and save lives from bowel cancer.